Post by Pavane on Oct 12, 2012 0:37:36 GMT -5
Who: Ikuna, Ahiga, Tala, Hadir
Where: Woodland Clearing
What:
It's been a long... long night, most of which Ahiga stared through. He left the clearing area to clear his head. Which worked, up until a point. For all of Hadir's attempts to be helpful, in the long run it left the wolf even more agitated than before. Thus, he did not return to the gathering place of the pack, opting to stalk and rave on his own through the midnight hours. And when stomping and raving was over, much sitting was done with eyes that stared out at things invisible. Of all the things Ahiga did do through the night, sleeping was not one of them. But now it's the dawn of a new day. The rising sun glitters upon the snowfall, making for a crisp and clean looking morning. Ahiga returns now to the packland, ears flicked back and head held in line with his shoulders. Alert wolf he is not. Exhausted he is, and he moves into the clearing on slow paws.
Ikuna left the clearing as well, but he returned to it sooner than Ahiga. While the other wolf roamed and faced the darkness, Ikuna... slept, curled in the snow with his tail over his nose. His was a peaceful night, with the occasional sounds of voices that roused him half to wakefulness... but none with the urgency to rouse him the rest of the way. Now, as dawn comes, the sunlight does what voices did not, and the alpha drifts toward wakefulness. A leisurely morning, and he stretches out his forepaws and slowly opens his eyes, nose still buried until fluffy, crooked tail.
Tala has spent many hours awake, plenty on her mind after all with everything that has happened recently. Though at the moment she is asleep. Her wounds are healing, faint fuzz of fur even starting to grow back in, so while the physical wounds are healing quickly the mental ones are still lingering. Her back is pressed up against the clump of thorny, small leaf bushes that she has turned into her 'den' so to speak, not that it offers that much protection but its just a little something.
No voices today. No congregation of wolves and families and reunions this time. Ahiga is glad for it. Reprieve is what he needs. An escape from everything. But unfortunately, there is no escaping what haunts the mind. He lowers his head to brush his tongue aganst the snow a few times to drink, though his ears swivel as movement is spotted out of the corner of his eye, and he pauses. The waking Ikuna is watched, and his eyes drift from him to flit around, but no one else is seen. Tala? Probably in those bushes like before, but he doesn't move to check. Ikuna gains his attention again. Good morning. Hello. Hey. All are appropriate greetings, but none make the cut.
Ikuna lifts his head from under that tail, looking across the snow at Ahiga. He's quiet for a moment, as a similar run of thoughts go by. Here's Ahiga. Here's him. He's giving Ahiga his space, but right now, to all appearances, it's just the two of them here. There's nothing to divert him, nothing to be the something else for the alpha to busy himself with and give Ahiga the chance to... whatever. Words might intrude, so instead, Ikuna simply dips his head. Easy enough to ignore.
Tala ear twitches forward slightly, movement is caught and her eyes creek open slightly so she can peer out towards where she hears the movement from. Her gaze rests on Ikuna and then Ahiga while she just watches the pair from her spot.
Here is it. An epic battle of silence. On one side, Ahiga. Angry and brooding. At one point, this anger and moodiness was because of Ikuna. And perhaps a fractional piece of it still is now. But really, Ahiga can't remember. He can't remember what was bothering him with Ikuna. What made him so angry with him. Whatever it was, it pales in comparison to what's bothering him now. What's festering and turning him into this ugly, angry, hopeless creature that cannot sleep and won't allow himself to be consoled. He watches Ikuna and sees that nod which is not returned because such simple pleasantries seem out of place. How can the world keep spinning so normally? Everything should be dark and black and spiritless. His body sags, as if the last bit of strength he had has finally abandoned him. "I don't know what to do."
As Ahiga droops down, Ikuna remains where he is. Once he would have rushed to his friend's side. Now? Now he lies there, and while his eyes don't leave the other wolf, neither does his body leave the ground. He's quiet for a moment longer, letting those words hang in the air. "Something," he says at last. "Anything." A strange answer, but then, was Ahiga even asking him? Now Ikuna moves, slowly pushing himself up to a sitting position. "It's your decision." On what? To stay with Tala or leave her? To leave Ute or stay? To listen to Ikuna or stalk off again?
Tala is only able to catch a few comments from the pair, her eyes slowly close and her head sinks down further between her forepaw, if that is possible. A soft snuffle escaping her in the process, which may or may not be picked up. Her ears lower down against her head and she curls up a bit more, well as best as she can with her still healing injuries.
What? "For friggin' Spirit's sake, Ikuna. Will you talk like a regular wolf for once? Please?" It's a sarcastic sounding 'please' but it is still a please! "I swear, ever since this Alpha thing, all you do is talk in circles. When has that ever helped anybody?" Ahiga's head is given a brisk shake, and he raises it a little, not moving forward any further than he is, but still looking him in the eye. "I'm askin' you for your help. I haven't asked you for anything, but I'm askin' you now. So please, can you pretend you're not this sage 'of little words' Alpha and freakin' talk to me?"
Ikuna snorts, his ears perking forward, and he leans in toward Ahiga. "Fine. You're asking for help. Well, here it is. You're the one running in circles, Ahiga. You're going round and round and round, and getting nowhere. You need to do something." He shakes himself, the fur fluffing up, and continues. "You remember when we were kids, and something went wrong, and you'd go hunting? Well, turns out, things have gone so wrong that hunting isn't enough any more. You can't fix this by bringing back a hare. You're going to have to do something more than that. Something that's hard." He snorts. "Maybe you should tell Tala you love her. That seems hard enough."
"What's there to do? You're right. I've been goin' round and round trying to figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do now. I want to /murder/ that dog, but I can't. I can't leave long enough to find him because I think about what happened the last time I left her. And killin' that bastard isn't going to fix anything." Ahiga bristles in anger and frustration that's not aimed towards Ikuna. "I can't /fix/ this. Sayin' sorry isn't fixing anything. Tellin' her I love her isn't going to make what happened go away." His eyes narrow a bit. "She knows I love her." ...Right? "I've always loved her. What's killin' me now is that isn't not enough, Ikuna. Loving her wasn't enough to keep that dog away. I should've known better than to leave her. She was in heat and..." His lips curl, revealing fangs. "What if it's Wachiwa all over again?"
"No," says Ikuna. "You can't fix it." He shakes himself again, forcing the hackles that started to rise - not at Ahiga - back down again. "You can't fix one Spirit-cursed bit of it. I don't want you to be sorry. I don't care if you're sorry. That's not the point." He stands up, pacing away a few steps, then turns back again. "That's never been the point. It's done. It happened. She's there now, and right now, you know what hurts her?" He takes a step closer, then another. "It's that you're not there. She's wondering the same damn things. She's hurt, and You're. Not. There. So, no. You can't fix it. It's not enough. It won't be enough. It's something. If it's Wachiwa all over again... well, maybe if Asku'd been around, things would have been better. Not good. Better."
Tala shifts slowly, her form tensing at the bit of movement and she is able to slowly push herself up onto her haunches. Her head lowers slightly though, ears flick forward with a soft snuffle escaping her in the process. She catches more of the words passed between the two but offers no comment, her tail flicks and sways before curling too her haunch. What does she say? Does she comment, or voice her ideas on everything? She is unsure of what to do, so for the moment she does nothing and stays put!
Ahiga's jaw clenches as he listens, for it's difficult to hear. It's difficult to hear, although he already knew, that there's absolutely nothing that he can do to change what happened. This is no fixing this. It's hard to know that by being absent, he is only causing more pain for her, for being absent is the only way he knows how to handle things without ... blowing up. And the worst of it is knowing that this may be another Wachiwa. Pups born of dog instead of wolf. But Wachiwa was easy. Wachiwa he could shun. Wachiwa he could loathe. Tala? He could neither ignore or hate her. If .. /if/ there are pups growing within her with curled tails and flopped ears, could he love them as his own? He already knows the answer, and it's not one anyone would want to hear. Ahiga does not protest Ikuna's gradual approach, and in fact, there's a slight inching forward done on his own. "Where is she?"
These aren't things Ikuna wants to say, any more than they're the ones Ahiga wants to hear. They're simply true, which makes them all the worse. This isn't calm, sage alpha. This is Ikuna whose sister lies in the brush... but then, Ahiga asked for this, and Ikuna takes another step closer before he swivels. "Here." He knows Tala's hiding spots well enough, the places she creeps into so she doesn't feel exposed. Perhaps she'd feel more comfortable if they had returned to Ute's former den. Perhaps Ikuna was selfish, moving the pack away from that bloody hillside. ...or perhaps not. Either way, it's done, and Ikuna is moving forward until he's a few paces away from Tala, the point of his muzzle making it clear, and then he looks back to Ahiga once more.
Tala is in the bushes, yes she is! Well somewhat. She is up on her paws, tail flicking a few times while she shifts to see how well she can keep herself standing today it seems. So far soo good at the moment it seems. She slowly makes her way out from the bushes, pausing to peer over towards the pair whom she watches quietly, nose wiggling. "Hey." Is said with a soft tone, at least she is talking again. As for going back home, she wouldn't have went there, not after everything that happened on that hilltop. Even though most if not all of the pack is gone or dead there has to be some still around, right?
Ahiga glances to Ikuna as he gestures to where Tala hides. A hiding spot. Is she hiding because she is afraid? Embarassed? Ashamed? His ears fold back as these thoughts process, brows scrunching. He steps forward now, following Ikuna's gestured direction, but soon it's obvious that he needn't. There's Tala, emerging from the brush. His ears flit forward quickly in surprise. She's standing unaccompanied by the body of a wolf for support, for once. Two ... it's obvious that she's healing. Those physical wounds already seem less than what he remembers. But the physical injuries aren't what terrify him so. Instinctively, he drops his head a little as he starts to approach, body carried somewhat low to the ground, tail vaguely tucked. A submissive posturing. For all that Ikuna may insist, Ahiga is wholly, genuinely, extremely, and utterly sorry. "Hi.." he answers upon getting closer, ears pressing back now. "Are you .. are you feelin' better?"
Ikuna dips his head to Tala, with a little bit of a smile. "Hey," he says back to her, but he doesn't come closer. He doesn't leave, either, but he glances aside as Ahiga approaches, leaning back a little. He's here, but... well, don't mind him. He's not the thing to pay attention to right now.
Tala swallows a moment while she watche Ahiga, her ears lowering a bit more if that is possible before they slowly perk forward. She takes in a soft breath, is that a smile? Well just a small one but it is there. She lowers her head and slowly steps forward, letting her nose press against Ahiga's head, her tail flicking back an forth a few times. "Ya I'm feeling better." Better isn't best but it works right? I was worried about you." This is said with a soft murmur.
The touch of her nose to his head sends a slight shock down his spine, and Ahiga glances up at her with sorrowful eyes. His ears prick as she speaks though, and he raises his lowered head an inch. "...Worried about me?" he echoes incredulously. "Why would you be worried about me? You're the one that's hurt. You're the one to be worried about." He tips his head up to brush his muzzle beneath her chin, a slight whine lifting from his throat. "I'm sorry, Tala. I'll tell you every single day I'm alive that I'm sorry I let this happen. I promise you, for the rest've my life I'll try to make it up to you. I swear it. I never meant for any've this to happen."
Good. Nobody's paying attention to Ikuna. He stays quiet, just listening to the two of them speak, letting his gaze wander the forest but glance at the two of them fro time to time.
Tala shifts slowly and sinks back down so she is laying there in front of him. "Of course I worried about you, an Ikuna and everytone else.." There are reasons behind it, she would have to think of something else then what happened to her after all. She takes in a soft brath, her steely blue gaze settled on his before she lowers her head to press it against his cheek. "Ahiga you didn't let it happened, I didn't let it happen." Her physical wounds should be enough to prove that. "No one meant for it to happen undersand? We... just have to try and fix it." How ever they possible can. She is quiet for a moment, her jaw tenses. "You...will stay... Right?" That has been one of her biggest fears, that Ahiga would leave and she would be truely alone. Which yes she would have the pack but without Ahiga it wouldn't truely being right.
To fix the unfixable. That it the confusing task at hand. The even more challenging one? To get past this and head toward brighter days. There must be brighter days ahead. The Ute has had more than their fair share of dark times, and Ahiga has had his fill of them. His eyes close now, focusing his whole self on the feel of her head against his cheek, breathing in her scent which mercifully has no further traces of dog lingering upon it, and listening to her. Her question though has him opening his eyes quickly, and he rears his head back to settle his gaze on hers. "...Where else would I go, Tala?" he answers, ears pricking forward. "I'm with you always, no matter where you are. If you're stayin' here, I'm with you."
Now it's time for Ikuna to stop pretending to be a rock. He steps forward, clearing his throat with a little cough to remind these two wolves who've only had eyes for each other that he's actually still here. "You're welcome to stay, both of you. I..." He stops, shakes his head, then continues. "For however long you want." Or don't want, the downward flick of his gaze adds.
Some things can't all be fixed, but perhaps made better? That is the thought that Tala has on the matter, maybe with time.. An lots of hope something good will come out of this, somehow. The scent of that dog has been gone from her for some time, she made it a point to work on getting it off even when she could barely move about, the snow helped to some degree. Her ears lower slightly and she swallows a moment. "I don't know... I was just so worried you would leave and not come back." A soft whine even escapes her at the thought, her head lowers to press into the cold ground. I don't know what I would do without you here Ahiga." Her gaze turns towards Ikuna, a soft smile seen and she takes in a soft breath. "I don't want to leave... Not agian." Her gaze turns towards Ahiga, wondering what his thoughts on the matter may be.
Ahiga lightly wrinkles his nose and gives his head a shake. "I'd never just leave you, Tala. I couldn't leave you...at all. You're..." What is she? Unfortunatey, Ahiga is not the most poetic of wolves. Now would be a perfect time to say that affluent, wonderful thing to show her just how much she means to him, but...alas. "You're like...everything to me." Not a sonnet or words that will be remembered for their lyrical perfection, but they are spoken from the heart. Now, his attention turns to Ikuna, who he actually did forget was still lingering in the area. He sits up, ears pricked in his direction, then to Tala as she speaks her last piece. "Then we stay," he concludes, turning back to Ikuna now. "We stay."
Ikuna looks to Tala as she speaks. He nods a little, then he looks to Ahiga as the other wolf turns to him, and nods again. "Okay." That's it? Well, sort of. That's all he says, but there's a relaxation to his shoulders as he says it, a slight curve of his crooked tail. The hints of a smile. This, it seems, was the answer he wanted... even if he didn't ask for it. That would have been, in his own mind at least, unfair... and Ikuna tries ever so hard to be fair.
Tala looks back to Ahiga, her ears perk forward and she takes in a soft breath, a soft smile is seen. He may not be a poet but she'll take it. "Your my everything too." She lifts her head to give his neck a nuzzle after the answer to Ikuna.. "Thank you." Is murmured with a soft tone to Ahiga before she turns her attention to Ikuna, her tail sways a few times, glad it seems everyone is on the same page.
On the same page...finally! Even Ahiga can feel a marginal amount of stress lifting from its shoulders. He's far from healed, and there's at least one worry that can only be dealt with after the seasons turn. But for now ... this is ok. That vague smile seen upon Ikuna's muzzle is echoed on his own. A barely there, yet still there curvature of his mouth. He moves, resettling himself so that he's sitting right next to Tala, keeping himself close so that fur is touching fur. Now he gestures to Ikuna with his muzzle. "Is this where we're goin' to stay?" he asks. "Or, or is it just a stop along the way to somewhere else?" On to business.
After so long not even being in the same book, let alone the same page... yeah, it's nice. There's not much chance to bask in the moment, though, because the beam of light is surrounded by clouds. Ikuna pauses before answering, taking a look around the clearing and the forest around it. "We're staying," he says. "The hunting's good enough, and there's room for us to spread out. This," he gestures to the clearing, "-makes a good spot to come back to." After all, Ahiga has been far from the only wandering wolf of Ute.
Tala shifts and lets her side press back against Ahiga, her head settling upon her forepaw that is next to his. Her eyes close and she listens to the pair it seems. There is another nagging problem on her mind, but no one can possible know the answer until spring an it bothers her a lot. "It seems like an alright place..." She murmurs out softly.
Ahiga bobs his head in answer to Ikuna. "No dogs smell here, either," he reports, which is a top priority. If there were dogs here at some point, their scent is long gone, hinting that they haven't been back in this area for quite a time. As far as places to settle down goes, this isn't too bad, and with it being winter, that's saying a log. Ok, second order of business. He lifts a forepaw, gesturing with a dangled paw to Ikuna's front, eyes on the yellow marking on his shoulder. "What the heck is that thing on you?"
Ikuna nods his agreement. Not a one of dogs! Well, maybe if you added together two half-dogs, you could get a one dog between them... but that's different. There are plenty of those wolfdog pawprints and scents here, and if that's still an issue for Ahiga... well, it clearly hasn't made it into the top two. "Tobba," says Ikuna, and then shakes his head, looking down at his feet with an abashed grin for a moment and then up again. "It's... Skahla told me about it. It's a spirit thing, I guess, but that's not why I put it on. It's an Ute thing, from back before any of us were born. I figure... it can be an Ute thing again. A sort of... a reminder to try and do the right thing, and that... well, that we're a pack, I guess. I sort of feel like that's something we need to remember, lately."
Tala didn't even pick up the mark against Ikuna, her steel blue gaze drifts towards him curious like and she tilts her head. Ear perking and she listens. "Sort of like that Helaku wolf had. I'm pretty sure he had some sort of mark too." She takes in a soft breath, ears perking forward. "Is there a certain mark you are using then, and color?"
A spirit thing? A skeptical look makes it way across Ahiga's face, for last he remembers, Ikuna and spirits weren't really seeing eye to eye. But as he continues, it makes a little more sense. A bit. A mark to ...well, mark them. He glances to Tala, traces of skepticism still evident on his features. But as she asks for colors and specifics, he can assume that she's game for wearing one too. And, he supposes, if they're going to stay, they likely don't have much of a choice if this is what Ikuna wants. He flicks an ear, golden eyes returning to Ikuna. Maybe he had the same question too. Color and shape. For he doesn't say anything furst at the moment.
That Helaku wolf. Ikuna nods once to that. "Yeah. Like that. Only, I'm not trying to match his Ute or anything. I'm just trying to have my Ute." He glances to Ahiga, with that skeptical face. "I'm not going to make anyone wear it," he adds. "I want... I'm not my dad. I can't just growl and tell people to do things. I didn't make anyone follow me here, and I'm not going to make anyone wear Tobba. All I can do... all I want to do... is hunt and patrol and... keep everyone safe and fed and happy and not fighting with each other. That's all. Maybe that makes me a bad alpha, but... it's what I'm going to do." He shrugs, and looks back to Tala. "A yellow sun." He turns a little, showing the one painted on him. It's stylized and simple, done with paws and crushed plants for dye, but it's certainly distinctive.
Tala hums softly and looks to Ahiga, watching him a few moments. "Dono, you might look cute with a sun on your shoulder." This said with an amused tone, is she trying to joke? So it would seem. A slight nod is seen as she hears Ikuna. "Alright. An we know that your not like dad. No one is trying too compare you to him. You are alpha, and you will choose the path that you feel is right. You will make your own path now that you are alpha. No one should compare you to any other."
Ahiga is not trying to rock the boat. Not this early in the game. He just got back in, and this is the first time in a very long time that things haven't spiraled downhill towards yelling and growling. If he must agree to wear a print on his shoulder to keep the peace, well .. he'll likely do it, despite how silly he thinks it is. Not that he's going to tell Ikuna that he thinks it's silly. Or Tala for that matter. The mark may not be mandatory, but if it is to symbolize unity, wouldn't not wearing it be seen as a sign of defiance? Or maybe, Ahiga's just reading too deeply into this. Tala's joke inspires a smirk, and he lifts his chin slightly. "I'd look good wearing anything," he replies. "Yellow sun. Blue moon. Whatever." He glances at Ikuna's mark. "Yours is crooked." Impossible for a sun! But, like Tala, he's attempting lighthearted pestering, too.
Hadir has gone back to resting under the bush that he was resting under yesterday. His talk with Ahiga had worn him out and left him a little sad. He had really tried to help and had asked some hard questions, but not with the intention of driving him away. He has remained asleep throughout the whole thing, though occasionally a wheeze can be heard coming from under the bush. It makes it hard to get a good nights sleep thats for sure.
But everyone is comparing Ikuna to all the storied alphas of lore, right? Or maybe he's just been listening to Kurux too much. Either way, Ikuna smiles slightly and nods to his sister with the face of a wolf unconvinced but glad for the reassurance. He's definitely sure he's not one of the alphas of legend. If he was told it was silly... he might even agree, depending on how much /he/ was overanalyzing things at that particular moment. He smirks a little at Ahiga's comment. "Matches my tail," he says in return.
Tala looks amused as she hears Ahiga, a soft chuckle escapes her and she takes in a soft breath. "I suppose you have a point." This said with a sof tone, her head presses more against Ahiga's leg for a few moments. "Oh it's alright, matches his tail.." There is a pause as Ikuna beats her to the comment, a faint grin is seen once more. "Well I'll wear one." See? She'll do it!
Ahiga laughs as they both of them come to the same conclusion. "Maybe we should just start calling you the Crooked One?" he suggests with a smirk, brows raising. Geeze. He was so sure back then that the tail would somehow miraculously fix itself. But noooo. Forever crooked! He slides down to rest on his stomach now, head shifting to nuzzle against Tala's ear a moment. She'll wear one? Well, if she's going to, he will too. So, he nods in agreement with her. "So will I," he verbalizes. "As long as it's someone who can paw it on straight. If it's you, it'll probably look more like a fish than a sun."
Hadir opens his eyes as he grows more and more aware of voices around him. The pack has been exceptionally busy lately with all sorts of wolves coming and going and it seems that today is no different. He yawns and lifts his head from his paws. Still cold. Still winter...but what can you do? He pokes his head out from under the bush and takes a quick look around. Ahiga and Tala are here...and they seem happy. Maybe his talk with him last night was not in vain. Even uncle Ikuna seems happy, "Hi." he says to the gathered group.
The Crooked One. Now Ikuna's really going to think he's being compared to the legends of lore, because that's totally a name straight out of them. He chuckles, though, giving his head a little shake. He smiles as Tala agrees to this thing, and then it widens as Ahiga does the same. He nods. "Well," he says, glancing between them. "How about... you put them on each other, then? That way, if it turns out crooked... or fishy... you'll know just who to blame." Not that he suspects either of them could blame the other for long! Especially not over something as silly as a shoulder marking. He's still smiling as he looks over to Hadir, seeming happier than he has in... oh, months, probably. The tension of his shoulders isn't gone, but now there's more good to balance it out. "Hey," he says to the adolescent.
Tala huffs out softly at the 'crooked one' comment. "It gives him personality." She points out softly while her eyes close. A soft smile crosses her maw as she hears that Ahiga will wear one. "Good." Is murmured out softly. A chuckle escapes her. "Yes that will be fine, we shall put it on one another, to a point that the other can't see it and have another wolf tell them it is crooked." A ear perk and she lifts her gaze to look towards him. "Hello Hadir."
"Good idea. Tala, my sun had better not look like a fish. Or a moon. Or a leaf," Ahiga warns with a false glare to the female. "And I'll do my best to make yours look like a turtle." Turtle, sun...same general shape, right? He smirks at her in a smug way just before his attention is taken by the sound of another, somewhat wheezed voice. Hadir receives a cool reception. He does earn a nod, though it doesn't seem as if he's fully forgiven the previous night's latter comments. But at this moment, Ahiga isn't allowing his mood to be negative. He has his Tala and Ikuna and himself seem to be on the mend. His spirits are lifted.
Hadir does't want things to be all awkward between them. After all Ahiga is a friend. Still now might not be the time to dredge everything up again. He's content to let it pass. Ahiga is one of those wolves that just needs time sometimes. He returns the nod with one of his own and creeps out from under the bush so that he can move a bit closer to his friends. He smiles to Tala, really pleased to see her up, about and happy, "What is everyone talking about?" he asks.
Ikuna grins as he listens to his sibling and... friend?... talk. Is Ahiga his friend again? It seems... entirely possible, actually, though he's not going to put strain on it just yet by actually saying the word aloud. Let it mend for a little first. He looks over to Hadir, and smiles. "Well... about Ute. About Tobba." He tilts his head to the mark on his shoulder. "That's something for you to think about, too. When spring comes, you'll be grown... and I'll want to know if you want to wear Ute's mark." Assuming, of course, Hadir lives that long, and there's a slight twitch of concern to go with Ikuna's smile.
Tala chuckles softly and smiles, her tail thumps against the ground, an half against Ahiga in the process. "Alright no fish." She seems amused at least and is mostly good pirts at the moment. At the question from Hadir, she nods to the answer from Ikuna. Her ears perk forward a bit more at the comment of spring, which makes her gaze lower to the ground and takes in a soft breath. Spring... It is so far away, yet looming over her mind like crazy.
Hadir has not really heard anything of the old Ute legends. At least that he remembers. He might well have heard some of them when he was younger but now they escape him. He gives a quick nod and a smile. Yep. Spring. He's going to hang on as long as he can but there can't be any promise made about when his time will be up. He give a bit of a shrug and speaks, "I'll have to hear more about it no doubt." He gives a quick glance to Tala. She is just as concerned about the future as he is, but for different reasons. He gives her a smile, "Spring will be wonderful. You can bet on it." he says reassuringly. Its at that moment that he feels a wave of diziness pass over him and falls to the ground, out like a light. He's not dead, and his breathing seems regular but he is out. All in all not a bad fit this time.
On their way towards friendship, yes. Recovering friends. Ahiga is glad for this, for he has missed his friend, despite the anger and the hurt and all of the bad feelings he's harbored. He has missed Ikuna. The comment of spring has him grinning a little. Spring will be a time of new things. New lands. Warmth. Starting over. This time, things will go the way they are supposed to. He can't let his mind wander to the what ifs. In the back of his mind, there's a big what if. But for now...there's been no sign that he has to worry about that. Ignorance is bliss, and he's happy to be ignorant about this. And who knows? Maybe nothing will come of it. Pups aren't born every spring, and this will be one spring he'll be glad to remain puppy free. He takes in a breath, likely to comment on something, but... down goes Hadir! His eyes widen in alarm. "Hadir??" He can see that he's breathing, but....yeesh. There's no getting used to that. He sighs, resting his head against Tala. "At least he fell in snow this time.." he comments wearily. The lack of sleep is catching up to him suddenly. In a far more graceful way than poor Hadir, he begins to drift off.
Just don't bet on Hadir. Ikuna frowns as the adolescent gives way, and steps over to nudge him to a slightly more comfortable position before glancing back to Ahiga. He nods. "Maybe he'll be better, come spring. Once it's not so cold..." He sounds uncertain of it, and he shakes his head slowly, letting out a low sigh. As Ahiga curls in against Tala and begins to drift off, Ikuna smiles. "I'm going on patrol," he says after a moment of simply watching them. "I'll be back soon." He dips his head to Tala, then trots out from the clearing, head and tail held high.
Tala shifts closer to AHiga and lets her head settle against his neck while taking in a soft breath. "Get some rest." She murmurs softly, before looking to Ikuna and nods slightly. "Be careful." Spring... So many things could happen come spring, to the point that it makes her form quiver with worry. What if?... Though she quickly lets a breath escape her and her eyes close. A ear twitches and she keeps a track on Hadir, making sure his breathing an so forth it seems.
Where: Woodland Clearing
What:
It's been a long... long night, most of which Ahiga stared through. He left the clearing area to clear his head. Which worked, up until a point. For all of Hadir's attempts to be helpful, in the long run it left the wolf even more agitated than before. Thus, he did not return to the gathering place of the pack, opting to stalk and rave on his own through the midnight hours. And when stomping and raving was over, much sitting was done with eyes that stared out at things invisible. Of all the things Ahiga did do through the night, sleeping was not one of them. But now it's the dawn of a new day. The rising sun glitters upon the snowfall, making for a crisp and clean looking morning. Ahiga returns now to the packland, ears flicked back and head held in line with his shoulders. Alert wolf he is not. Exhausted he is, and he moves into the clearing on slow paws.
Ikuna left the clearing as well, but he returned to it sooner than Ahiga. While the other wolf roamed and faced the darkness, Ikuna... slept, curled in the snow with his tail over his nose. His was a peaceful night, with the occasional sounds of voices that roused him half to wakefulness... but none with the urgency to rouse him the rest of the way. Now, as dawn comes, the sunlight does what voices did not, and the alpha drifts toward wakefulness. A leisurely morning, and he stretches out his forepaws and slowly opens his eyes, nose still buried until fluffy, crooked tail.
Tala has spent many hours awake, plenty on her mind after all with everything that has happened recently. Though at the moment she is asleep. Her wounds are healing, faint fuzz of fur even starting to grow back in, so while the physical wounds are healing quickly the mental ones are still lingering. Her back is pressed up against the clump of thorny, small leaf bushes that she has turned into her 'den' so to speak, not that it offers that much protection but its just a little something.
No voices today. No congregation of wolves and families and reunions this time. Ahiga is glad for it. Reprieve is what he needs. An escape from everything. But unfortunately, there is no escaping what haunts the mind. He lowers his head to brush his tongue aganst the snow a few times to drink, though his ears swivel as movement is spotted out of the corner of his eye, and he pauses. The waking Ikuna is watched, and his eyes drift from him to flit around, but no one else is seen. Tala? Probably in those bushes like before, but he doesn't move to check. Ikuna gains his attention again. Good morning. Hello. Hey. All are appropriate greetings, but none make the cut.
Ikuna lifts his head from under that tail, looking across the snow at Ahiga. He's quiet for a moment, as a similar run of thoughts go by. Here's Ahiga. Here's him. He's giving Ahiga his space, but right now, to all appearances, it's just the two of them here. There's nothing to divert him, nothing to be the something else for the alpha to busy himself with and give Ahiga the chance to... whatever. Words might intrude, so instead, Ikuna simply dips his head. Easy enough to ignore.
Tala ear twitches forward slightly, movement is caught and her eyes creek open slightly so she can peer out towards where she hears the movement from. Her gaze rests on Ikuna and then Ahiga while she just watches the pair from her spot.
Here is it. An epic battle of silence. On one side, Ahiga. Angry and brooding. At one point, this anger and moodiness was because of Ikuna. And perhaps a fractional piece of it still is now. But really, Ahiga can't remember. He can't remember what was bothering him with Ikuna. What made him so angry with him. Whatever it was, it pales in comparison to what's bothering him now. What's festering and turning him into this ugly, angry, hopeless creature that cannot sleep and won't allow himself to be consoled. He watches Ikuna and sees that nod which is not returned because such simple pleasantries seem out of place. How can the world keep spinning so normally? Everything should be dark and black and spiritless. His body sags, as if the last bit of strength he had has finally abandoned him. "I don't know what to do."
As Ahiga droops down, Ikuna remains where he is. Once he would have rushed to his friend's side. Now? Now he lies there, and while his eyes don't leave the other wolf, neither does his body leave the ground. He's quiet for a moment longer, letting those words hang in the air. "Something," he says at last. "Anything." A strange answer, but then, was Ahiga even asking him? Now Ikuna moves, slowly pushing himself up to a sitting position. "It's your decision." On what? To stay with Tala or leave her? To leave Ute or stay? To listen to Ikuna or stalk off again?
Tala is only able to catch a few comments from the pair, her eyes slowly close and her head sinks down further between her forepaw, if that is possible. A soft snuffle escaping her in the process, which may or may not be picked up. Her ears lower down against her head and she curls up a bit more, well as best as she can with her still healing injuries.
What? "For friggin' Spirit's sake, Ikuna. Will you talk like a regular wolf for once? Please?" It's a sarcastic sounding 'please' but it is still a please! "I swear, ever since this Alpha thing, all you do is talk in circles. When has that ever helped anybody?" Ahiga's head is given a brisk shake, and he raises it a little, not moving forward any further than he is, but still looking him in the eye. "I'm askin' you for your help. I haven't asked you for anything, but I'm askin' you now. So please, can you pretend you're not this sage 'of little words' Alpha and freakin' talk to me?"
Ikuna snorts, his ears perking forward, and he leans in toward Ahiga. "Fine. You're asking for help. Well, here it is. You're the one running in circles, Ahiga. You're going round and round and round, and getting nowhere. You need to do something." He shakes himself, the fur fluffing up, and continues. "You remember when we were kids, and something went wrong, and you'd go hunting? Well, turns out, things have gone so wrong that hunting isn't enough any more. You can't fix this by bringing back a hare. You're going to have to do something more than that. Something that's hard." He snorts. "Maybe you should tell Tala you love her. That seems hard enough."
"What's there to do? You're right. I've been goin' round and round trying to figure out what the hell I'm supposed to do now. I want to /murder/ that dog, but I can't. I can't leave long enough to find him because I think about what happened the last time I left her. And killin' that bastard isn't going to fix anything." Ahiga bristles in anger and frustration that's not aimed towards Ikuna. "I can't /fix/ this. Sayin' sorry isn't fixing anything. Tellin' her I love her isn't going to make what happened go away." His eyes narrow a bit. "She knows I love her." ...Right? "I've always loved her. What's killin' me now is that isn't not enough, Ikuna. Loving her wasn't enough to keep that dog away. I should've known better than to leave her. She was in heat and..." His lips curl, revealing fangs. "What if it's Wachiwa all over again?"
"No," says Ikuna. "You can't fix it." He shakes himself again, forcing the hackles that started to rise - not at Ahiga - back down again. "You can't fix one Spirit-cursed bit of it. I don't want you to be sorry. I don't care if you're sorry. That's not the point." He stands up, pacing away a few steps, then turns back again. "That's never been the point. It's done. It happened. She's there now, and right now, you know what hurts her?" He takes a step closer, then another. "It's that you're not there. She's wondering the same damn things. She's hurt, and You're. Not. There. So, no. You can't fix it. It's not enough. It won't be enough. It's something. If it's Wachiwa all over again... well, maybe if Asku'd been around, things would have been better. Not good. Better."
Tala shifts slowly, her form tensing at the bit of movement and she is able to slowly push herself up onto her haunches. Her head lowers slightly though, ears flick forward with a soft snuffle escaping her in the process. She catches more of the words passed between the two but offers no comment, her tail flicks and sways before curling too her haunch. What does she say? Does she comment, or voice her ideas on everything? She is unsure of what to do, so for the moment she does nothing and stays put!
Ahiga's jaw clenches as he listens, for it's difficult to hear. It's difficult to hear, although he already knew, that there's absolutely nothing that he can do to change what happened. This is no fixing this. It's hard to know that by being absent, he is only causing more pain for her, for being absent is the only way he knows how to handle things without ... blowing up. And the worst of it is knowing that this may be another Wachiwa. Pups born of dog instead of wolf. But Wachiwa was easy. Wachiwa he could shun. Wachiwa he could loathe. Tala? He could neither ignore or hate her. If .. /if/ there are pups growing within her with curled tails and flopped ears, could he love them as his own? He already knows the answer, and it's not one anyone would want to hear. Ahiga does not protest Ikuna's gradual approach, and in fact, there's a slight inching forward done on his own. "Where is she?"
These aren't things Ikuna wants to say, any more than they're the ones Ahiga wants to hear. They're simply true, which makes them all the worse. This isn't calm, sage alpha. This is Ikuna whose sister lies in the brush... but then, Ahiga asked for this, and Ikuna takes another step closer before he swivels. "Here." He knows Tala's hiding spots well enough, the places she creeps into so she doesn't feel exposed. Perhaps she'd feel more comfortable if they had returned to Ute's former den. Perhaps Ikuna was selfish, moving the pack away from that bloody hillside. ...or perhaps not. Either way, it's done, and Ikuna is moving forward until he's a few paces away from Tala, the point of his muzzle making it clear, and then he looks back to Ahiga once more.
Tala is in the bushes, yes she is! Well somewhat. She is up on her paws, tail flicking a few times while she shifts to see how well she can keep herself standing today it seems. So far soo good at the moment it seems. She slowly makes her way out from the bushes, pausing to peer over towards the pair whom she watches quietly, nose wiggling. "Hey." Is said with a soft tone, at least she is talking again. As for going back home, she wouldn't have went there, not after everything that happened on that hilltop. Even though most if not all of the pack is gone or dead there has to be some still around, right?
Ahiga glances to Ikuna as he gestures to where Tala hides. A hiding spot. Is she hiding because she is afraid? Embarassed? Ashamed? His ears fold back as these thoughts process, brows scrunching. He steps forward now, following Ikuna's gestured direction, but soon it's obvious that he needn't. There's Tala, emerging from the brush. His ears flit forward quickly in surprise. She's standing unaccompanied by the body of a wolf for support, for once. Two ... it's obvious that she's healing. Those physical wounds already seem less than what he remembers. But the physical injuries aren't what terrify him so. Instinctively, he drops his head a little as he starts to approach, body carried somewhat low to the ground, tail vaguely tucked. A submissive posturing. For all that Ikuna may insist, Ahiga is wholly, genuinely, extremely, and utterly sorry. "Hi.." he answers upon getting closer, ears pressing back now. "Are you .. are you feelin' better?"
Ikuna dips his head to Tala, with a little bit of a smile. "Hey," he says back to her, but he doesn't come closer. He doesn't leave, either, but he glances aside as Ahiga approaches, leaning back a little. He's here, but... well, don't mind him. He's not the thing to pay attention to right now.
Tala swallows a moment while she watche Ahiga, her ears lowering a bit more if that is possible before they slowly perk forward. She takes in a soft breath, is that a smile? Well just a small one but it is there. She lowers her head and slowly steps forward, letting her nose press against Ahiga's head, her tail flicking back an forth a few times. "Ya I'm feeling better." Better isn't best but it works right? I was worried about you." This is said with a soft murmur.
The touch of her nose to his head sends a slight shock down his spine, and Ahiga glances up at her with sorrowful eyes. His ears prick as she speaks though, and he raises his lowered head an inch. "...Worried about me?" he echoes incredulously. "Why would you be worried about me? You're the one that's hurt. You're the one to be worried about." He tips his head up to brush his muzzle beneath her chin, a slight whine lifting from his throat. "I'm sorry, Tala. I'll tell you every single day I'm alive that I'm sorry I let this happen. I promise you, for the rest've my life I'll try to make it up to you. I swear it. I never meant for any've this to happen."
Good. Nobody's paying attention to Ikuna. He stays quiet, just listening to the two of them speak, letting his gaze wander the forest but glance at the two of them fro time to time.
Tala shifts slowly and sinks back down so she is laying there in front of him. "Of course I worried about you, an Ikuna and everytone else.." There are reasons behind it, she would have to think of something else then what happened to her after all. She takes in a soft brath, her steely blue gaze settled on his before she lowers her head to press it against his cheek. "Ahiga you didn't let it happened, I didn't let it happen." Her physical wounds should be enough to prove that. "No one meant for it to happen undersand? We... just have to try and fix it." How ever they possible can. She is quiet for a moment, her jaw tenses. "You...will stay... Right?" That has been one of her biggest fears, that Ahiga would leave and she would be truely alone. Which yes she would have the pack but without Ahiga it wouldn't truely being right.
To fix the unfixable. That it the confusing task at hand. The even more challenging one? To get past this and head toward brighter days. There must be brighter days ahead. The Ute has had more than their fair share of dark times, and Ahiga has had his fill of them. His eyes close now, focusing his whole self on the feel of her head against his cheek, breathing in her scent which mercifully has no further traces of dog lingering upon it, and listening to her. Her question though has him opening his eyes quickly, and he rears his head back to settle his gaze on hers. "...Where else would I go, Tala?" he answers, ears pricking forward. "I'm with you always, no matter where you are. If you're stayin' here, I'm with you."
Now it's time for Ikuna to stop pretending to be a rock. He steps forward, clearing his throat with a little cough to remind these two wolves who've only had eyes for each other that he's actually still here. "You're welcome to stay, both of you. I..." He stops, shakes his head, then continues. "For however long you want." Or don't want, the downward flick of his gaze adds.
Some things can't all be fixed, but perhaps made better? That is the thought that Tala has on the matter, maybe with time.. An lots of hope something good will come out of this, somehow. The scent of that dog has been gone from her for some time, she made it a point to work on getting it off even when she could barely move about, the snow helped to some degree. Her ears lower slightly and she swallows a moment. "I don't know... I was just so worried you would leave and not come back." A soft whine even escapes her at the thought, her head lowers to press into the cold ground. I don't know what I would do without you here Ahiga." Her gaze turns towards Ikuna, a soft smile seen and she takes in a soft breath. "I don't want to leave... Not agian." Her gaze turns towards Ahiga, wondering what his thoughts on the matter may be.
Ahiga lightly wrinkles his nose and gives his head a shake. "I'd never just leave you, Tala. I couldn't leave you...at all. You're..." What is she? Unfortunatey, Ahiga is not the most poetic of wolves. Now would be a perfect time to say that affluent, wonderful thing to show her just how much she means to him, but...alas. "You're like...everything to me." Not a sonnet or words that will be remembered for their lyrical perfection, but they are spoken from the heart. Now, his attention turns to Ikuna, who he actually did forget was still lingering in the area. He sits up, ears pricked in his direction, then to Tala as she speaks her last piece. "Then we stay," he concludes, turning back to Ikuna now. "We stay."
Ikuna looks to Tala as she speaks. He nods a little, then he looks to Ahiga as the other wolf turns to him, and nods again. "Okay." That's it? Well, sort of. That's all he says, but there's a relaxation to his shoulders as he says it, a slight curve of his crooked tail. The hints of a smile. This, it seems, was the answer he wanted... even if he didn't ask for it. That would have been, in his own mind at least, unfair... and Ikuna tries ever so hard to be fair.
Tala looks back to Ahiga, her ears perk forward and she takes in a soft breath, a soft smile is seen. He may not be a poet but she'll take it. "Your my everything too." She lifts her head to give his neck a nuzzle after the answer to Ikuna.. "Thank you." Is murmured with a soft tone to Ahiga before she turns her attention to Ikuna, her tail sways a few times, glad it seems everyone is on the same page.
On the same page...finally! Even Ahiga can feel a marginal amount of stress lifting from its shoulders. He's far from healed, and there's at least one worry that can only be dealt with after the seasons turn. But for now ... this is ok. That vague smile seen upon Ikuna's muzzle is echoed on his own. A barely there, yet still there curvature of his mouth. He moves, resettling himself so that he's sitting right next to Tala, keeping himself close so that fur is touching fur. Now he gestures to Ikuna with his muzzle. "Is this where we're goin' to stay?" he asks. "Or, or is it just a stop along the way to somewhere else?" On to business.
After so long not even being in the same book, let alone the same page... yeah, it's nice. There's not much chance to bask in the moment, though, because the beam of light is surrounded by clouds. Ikuna pauses before answering, taking a look around the clearing and the forest around it. "We're staying," he says. "The hunting's good enough, and there's room for us to spread out. This," he gestures to the clearing, "-makes a good spot to come back to." After all, Ahiga has been far from the only wandering wolf of Ute.
Tala shifts and lets her side press back against Ahiga, her head settling upon her forepaw that is next to his. Her eyes close and she listens to the pair it seems. There is another nagging problem on her mind, but no one can possible know the answer until spring an it bothers her a lot. "It seems like an alright place..." She murmurs out softly.
Ahiga bobs his head in answer to Ikuna. "No dogs smell here, either," he reports, which is a top priority. If there were dogs here at some point, their scent is long gone, hinting that they haven't been back in this area for quite a time. As far as places to settle down goes, this isn't too bad, and with it being winter, that's saying a log. Ok, second order of business. He lifts a forepaw, gesturing with a dangled paw to Ikuna's front, eyes on the yellow marking on his shoulder. "What the heck is that thing on you?"
Ikuna nods his agreement. Not a one of dogs! Well, maybe if you added together two half-dogs, you could get a one dog between them... but that's different. There are plenty of those wolfdog pawprints and scents here, and if that's still an issue for Ahiga... well, it clearly hasn't made it into the top two. "Tobba," says Ikuna, and then shakes his head, looking down at his feet with an abashed grin for a moment and then up again. "It's... Skahla told me about it. It's a spirit thing, I guess, but that's not why I put it on. It's an Ute thing, from back before any of us were born. I figure... it can be an Ute thing again. A sort of... a reminder to try and do the right thing, and that... well, that we're a pack, I guess. I sort of feel like that's something we need to remember, lately."
Tala didn't even pick up the mark against Ikuna, her steel blue gaze drifts towards him curious like and she tilts her head. Ear perking and she listens. "Sort of like that Helaku wolf had. I'm pretty sure he had some sort of mark too." She takes in a soft breath, ears perking forward. "Is there a certain mark you are using then, and color?"
A spirit thing? A skeptical look makes it way across Ahiga's face, for last he remembers, Ikuna and spirits weren't really seeing eye to eye. But as he continues, it makes a little more sense. A bit. A mark to ...well, mark them. He glances to Tala, traces of skepticism still evident on his features. But as she asks for colors and specifics, he can assume that she's game for wearing one too. And, he supposes, if they're going to stay, they likely don't have much of a choice if this is what Ikuna wants. He flicks an ear, golden eyes returning to Ikuna. Maybe he had the same question too. Color and shape. For he doesn't say anything furst at the moment.
That Helaku wolf. Ikuna nods once to that. "Yeah. Like that. Only, I'm not trying to match his Ute or anything. I'm just trying to have my Ute." He glances to Ahiga, with that skeptical face. "I'm not going to make anyone wear it," he adds. "I want... I'm not my dad. I can't just growl and tell people to do things. I didn't make anyone follow me here, and I'm not going to make anyone wear Tobba. All I can do... all I want to do... is hunt and patrol and... keep everyone safe and fed and happy and not fighting with each other. That's all. Maybe that makes me a bad alpha, but... it's what I'm going to do." He shrugs, and looks back to Tala. "A yellow sun." He turns a little, showing the one painted on him. It's stylized and simple, done with paws and crushed plants for dye, but it's certainly distinctive.
Tala hums softly and looks to Ahiga, watching him a few moments. "Dono, you might look cute with a sun on your shoulder." This said with an amused tone, is she trying to joke? So it would seem. A slight nod is seen as she hears Ikuna. "Alright. An we know that your not like dad. No one is trying too compare you to him. You are alpha, and you will choose the path that you feel is right. You will make your own path now that you are alpha. No one should compare you to any other."
Ahiga is not trying to rock the boat. Not this early in the game. He just got back in, and this is the first time in a very long time that things haven't spiraled downhill towards yelling and growling. If he must agree to wear a print on his shoulder to keep the peace, well .. he'll likely do it, despite how silly he thinks it is. Not that he's going to tell Ikuna that he thinks it's silly. Or Tala for that matter. The mark may not be mandatory, but if it is to symbolize unity, wouldn't not wearing it be seen as a sign of defiance? Or maybe, Ahiga's just reading too deeply into this. Tala's joke inspires a smirk, and he lifts his chin slightly. "I'd look good wearing anything," he replies. "Yellow sun. Blue moon. Whatever." He glances at Ikuna's mark. "Yours is crooked." Impossible for a sun! But, like Tala, he's attempting lighthearted pestering, too.
Hadir has gone back to resting under the bush that he was resting under yesterday. His talk with Ahiga had worn him out and left him a little sad. He had really tried to help and had asked some hard questions, but not with the intention of driving him away. He has remained asleep throughout the whole thing, though occasionally a wheeze can be heard coming from under the bush. It makes it hard to get a good nights sleep thats for sure.
But everyone is comparing Ikuna to all the storied alphas of lore, right? Or maybe he's just been listening to Kurux too much. Either way, Ikuna smiles slightly and nods to his sister with the face of a wolf unconvinced but glad for the reassurance. He's definitely sure he's not one of the alphas of legend. If he was told it was silly... he might even agree, depending on how much /he/ was overanalyzing things at that particular moment. He smirks a little at Ahiga's comment. "Matches my tail," he says in return.
Tala looks amused as she hears Ahiga, a soft chuckle escapes her and she takes in a soft breath. "I suppose you have a point." This said with a sof tone, her head presses more against Ahiga's leg for a few moments. "Oh it's alright, matches his tail.." There is a pause as Ikuna beats her to the comment, a faint grin is seen once more. "Well I'll wear one." See? She'll do it!
Ahiga laughs as they both of them come to the same conclusion. "Maybe we should just start calling you the Crooked One?" he suggests with a smirk, brows raising. Geeze. He was so sure back then that the tail would somehow miraculously fix itself. But noooo. Forever crooked! He slides down to rest on his stomach now, head shifting to nuzzle against Tala's ear a moment. She'll wear one? Well, if she's going to, he will too. So, he nods in agreement with her. "So will I," he verbalizes. "As long as it's someone who can paw it on straight. If it's you, it'll probably look more like a fish than a sun."
Hadir opens his eyes as he grows more and more aware of voices around him. The pack has been exceptionally busy lately with all sorts of wolves coming and going and it seems that today is no different. He yawns and lifts his head from his paws. Still cold. Still winter...but what can you do? He pokes his head out from under the bush and takes a quick look around. Ahiga and Tala are here...and they seem happy. Maybe his talk with him last night was not in vain. Even uncle Ikuna seems happy, "Hi." he says to the gathered group.
The Crooked One. Now Ikuna's really going to think he's being compared to the legends of lore, because that's totally a name straight out of them. He chuckles, though, giving his head a little shake. He smiles as Tala agrees to this thing, and then it widens as Ahiga does the same. He nods. "Well," he says, glancing between them. "How about... you put them on each other, then? That way, if it turns out crooked... or fishy... you'll know just who to blame." Not that he suspects either of them could blame the other for long! Especially not over something as silly as a shoulder marking. He's still smiling as he looks over to Hadir, seeming happier than he has in... oh, months, probably. The tension of his shoulders isn't gone, but now there's more good to balance it out. "Hey," he says to the adolescent.
Tala huffs out softly at the 'crooked one' comment. "It gives him personality." She points out softly while her eyes close. A soft smile crosses her maw as she hears that Ahiga will wear one. "Good." Is murmured out softly. A chuckle escapes her. "Yes that will be fine, we shall put it on one another, to a point that the other can't see it and have another wolf tell them it is crooked." A ear perk and she lifts her gaze to look towards him. "Hello Hadir."
"Good idea. Tala, my sun had better not look like a fish. Or a moon. Or a leaf," Ahiga warns with a false glare to the female. "And I'll do my best to make yours look like a turtle." Turtle, sun...same general shape, right? He smirks at her in a smug way just before his attention is taken by the sound of another, somewhat wheezed voice. Hadir receives a cool reception. He does earn a nod, though it doesn't seem as if he's fully forgiven the previous night's latter comments. But at this moment, Ahiga isn't allowing his mood to be negative. He has his Tala and Ikuna and himself seem to be on the mend. His spirits are lifted.
Hadir does't want things to be all awkward between them. After all Ahiga is a friend. Still now might not be the time to dredge everything up again. He's content to let it pass. Ahiga is one of those wolves that just needs time sometimes. He returns the nod with one of his own and creeps out from under the bush so that he can move a bit closer to his friends. He smiles to Tala, really pleased to see her up, about and happy, "What is everyone talking about?" he asks.
Ikuna grins as he listens to his sibling and... friend?... talk. Is Ahiga his friend again? It seems... entirely possible, actually, though he's not going to put strain on it just yet by actually saying the word aloud. Let it mend for a little first. He looks over to Hadir, and smiles. "Well... about Ute. About Tobba." He tilts his head to the mark on his shoulder. "That's something for you to think about, too. When spring comes, you'll be grown... and I'll want to know if you want to wear Ute's mark." Assuming, of course, Hadir lives that long, and there's a slight twitch of concern to go with Ikuna's smile.
Tala chuckles softly and smiles, her tail thumps against the ground, an half against Ahiga in the process. "Alright no fish." She seems amused at least and is mostly good pirts at the moment. At the question from Hadir, she nods to the answer from Ikuna. Her ears perk forward a bit more at the comment of spring, which makes her gaze lower to the ground and takes in a soft breath. Spring... It is so far away, yet looming over her mind like crazy.
Hadir has not really heard anything of the old Ute legends. At least that he remembers. He might well have heard some of them when he was younger but now they escape him. He gives a quick nod and a smile. Yep. Spring. He's going to hang on as long as he can but there can't be any promise made about when his time will be up. He give a bit of a shrug and speaks, "I'll have to hear more about it no doubt." He gives a quick glance to Tala. She is just as concerned about the future as he is, but for different reasons. He gives her a smile, "Spring will be wonderful. You can bet on it." he says reassuringly. Its at that moment that he feels a wave of diziness pass over him and falls to the ground, out like a light. He's not dead, and his breathing seems regular but he is out. All in all not a bad fit this time.
On their way towards friendship, yes. Recovering friends. Ahiga is glad for this, for he has missed his friend, despite the anger and the hurt and all of the bad feelings he's harbored. He has missed Ikuna. The comment of spring has him grinning a little. Spring will be a time of new things. New lands. Warmth. Starting over. This time, things will go the way they are supposed to. He can't let his mind wander to the what ifs. In the back of his mind, there's a big what if. But for now...there's been no sign that he has to worry about that. Ignorance is bliss, and he's happy to be ignorant about this. And who knows? Maybe nothing will come of it. Pups aren't born every spring, and this will be one spring he'll be glad to remain puppy free. He takes in a breath, likely to comment on something, but... down goes Hadir! His eyes widen in alarm. "Hadir??" He can see that he's breathing, but....yeesh. There's no getting used to that. He sighs, resting his head against Tala. "At least he fell in snow this time.." he comments wearily. The lack of sleep is catching up to him suddenly. In a far more graceful way than poor Hadir, he begins to drift off.
Just don't bet on Hadir. Ikuna frowns as the adolescent gives way, and steps over to nudge him to a slightly more comfortable position before glancing back to Ahiga. He nods. "Maybe he'll be better, come spring. Once it's not so cold..." He sounds uncertain of it, and he shakes his head slowly, letting out a low sigh. As Ahiga curls in against Tala and begins to drift off, Ikuna smiles. "I'm going on patrol," he says after a moment of simply watching them. "I'll be back soon." He dips his head to Tala, then trots out from the clearing, head and tail held high.
Tala shifts closer to AHiga and lets her head settle against his neck while taking in a soft breath. "Get some rest." She murmurs softly, before looking to Ikuna and nods slightly. "Be careful." Spring... So many things could happen come spring, to the point that it makes her form quiver with worry. What if?... Though she quickly lets a breath escape her and her eyes close. A ear twitches and she keeps a track on Hadir, making sure his breathing an so forth it seems.